Orthopedic implant in the form of a plate to be fixed between two bone parts

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a plate fixed between two bone parts by way of screws engaged in holes formed in the thickness of said plate. The plate comprises an angled member or rib which is inclined according to an angle of between about 30° and 60° in relation to the plane defined by the plate. The angled member or rib has a hole for engaging a screw and is located in the central part of the width, over a determined part of the length of the plate, so that the screw brings the two bone parts into a compressive position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/429,834, filed Jun. 3, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/130,147, filed Apr. 15, 2016 and now U.S. Pat.No. 10,349,988, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/734,676, filed Jun. 9, 2015 and now U.S. Pat. No. 9,333,013, which isa continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/041,706, filed Sep. 30,2013 and now U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,713, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/918,071, filed Oct. 29, 2010 and now U.S. Pat.No. 8,556,946, which is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 ofInternational Application No. PCT/FR2009/051879, filed Oct. 2, 2009,published in French, which claims priority from French PatentApplication No. 0856694, filed Oct. 2, 2008, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the technical field of orthopedic implants.

More particularly, the invention relates to a plate for arthrodesis orosteosynthesis adapted to be fixed between two bone parts.

In a manner known to one having ordinary skill in the art, this type ofplate generally has holes for engaging screws, allowing arthrodesisbetween two bones or osteosynthesis between two bone fragments. This is,for example, the case for bones of the hand or foot, without howeverexcluding other applications, particularly in the field of the spine.Depending on the pathology to be treated, these plates can have ageneral rectilinear or other geometric shapes.

From this state of the art, one of the objects the invention proposes toattain is to improve, in a sure and efficient manner, compression in aprecise direction between the bone parts subjected to the plate.

To attain the given object to enhance the compression between the tworelative bone parts, according to the invention, the plate has aformation that orients at least one screw at an angle with respect to aplane defined by the plate, the angle being between about 30° and 60°.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the formation is a tab that isangled according to an angle between 30° and 60°, and having a hole forengaging the screw. The angled tab results from a cut out and adeformation of a portion of the plate.

In another embodiment, the formation is a hole angled at an anglebetween 30° and 60° for engaging the screw.

Considering the problem to be solved, the formation is located on adetermined portion of the length of the plate so that the screw ensuresthe compression of the two bone parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described hereinafter in more detail, with reference tothe attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the plate;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the plate;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the mounting of the platebetween two bone parts and their orientation by means of the plateaccording to the invention, the bone parts being shown schematically.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the invention, the plate 1 has at least one formation 1 aadapted to enable the positioning of at least one screw 2, at an angle aof between 30° and 60° with respect to a plane of the plate (FIG. 2).

In one embodiment, the formation 1 a is an angled tab cut out anddeformed from the plate. For example, the deformation is made with acutting-punching operation. This angled tab has a hole 1 a 1 for screw2. The angled tab 1 a is positioned along the length of the plate sothat after the screw 2 is fitted to it, the screw ensures thecompression together of the two bone parts, as indicated below in thedescription.

In another embodiment, to allow for an angular orientation of the screw2 according to an angle between about 30° and 60°, the formation 1 a canbe formed as an angled hole. It must be noted that the tab 1 a enablesadaptation of the angle as a function of the pathology to be treated,given that it is possible to deform this tab at will. In other words,the angle can be adjusted over a few degrees directly by the surgeon inthe operating room, using an appropriate tool.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 that show the positioning of the plate 1between two bone parts O1 and O2:

Once the osteotomies have been carried out, a template of the plate,which does not have a guide formation, enables the position of the tabto be determined.

After determining the position of the tab, the surgeon makes acorresponding recess with the appropriate rasp.

Once the plate having the tab has been positioned, the surgeon sets oneor two screws 3, on a side of the site of the osteosynthesis or thearthrodesis toward the tab. A temporary fastening pin can, possibly, bepositioned in a complementary lug.

The screw 2 is then engaged in the hole 1 a 1 of the tab 1 a to placethe fracture in compression.

Once the compression has been done, the surgeon can screw one or severalother additional fastening screws 3 and remove the temporary pin.

In a known manner, this plate 1 has smooth and/or threaded holes for thefastening screws 3 set in the bone parts O1 and O2 to engage in, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Similarly, the plate 1 can have at least one hole 1 c for a pin fortemporarily positioning the plate 1. Advantageously, the plate 1 canhave a guide 1 c for the insertion of a pin on the side of one of thebone parts O1 and another guide 1 d for the insertion of another pin onthe side of the other bone part O2.

Considering the effect of the desired compression, such as indicatedabove, the guide 1 c is a circular hole whose diameter correspondssubstantially to that of the pin, whereas the other guide 1 d can be anelongated slot.

These provisions thus enable the bone to slide under the plate 1 as thescrews are set, while ensuring compression along a precise direction,generally axially or parallel to the plate. The pins are of any knownand appropriate type, and perfectly known to one having ordinary skillin the art.

The plate 1 can have several shapes, so that the holes 1 a in particularcan be aligned or arrayed, all or in part, according to the corners of atriangle or of a quadrilateral. These provisions, in triangle or inquadrilateral, of the screws, improve the stability of the mounting.

It must be noted also that the plate 1, no matter its shape, can belongitudinally bent so as to adapt to the curvature of the bone,consequently enabling the screws to form an angle between them.

The advantages are readily apparent from the description.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for fusing a first discrete boneand a second discrete bone separated by a joint, said system comprising:a bone plate having a length sufficient to span the joint, said boneplate having a first end and a second end along said length, said lengthdefining a longitudinal axis, said bone plate defining: a first hole ator adjacent the first end, said first hole configured to align with thefirst discrete bone on a first side of the joint; a second hole at oradjacent the second end, said second hole configured to align with thesecond discrete bone on a second side of the joint; and a third holelocated between said first hole and said second hole, wherein said thirdhole is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of said bone plate; afirst fixation member configured to be inserted through the first holeof the bone plate and into the first discrete bone of the joint; asecond fixation member configured to inserted through said second holeof said bone plate and into the second discrete bone of said joint; anda third fixation member configured to be inserted through said thirdhole of said bone plate, into the first discrete bone, across saidjoint, and into the second discrete bone such that a free end of saidthird fixation member, not attached to any portion of the bone plate,resides in the second discrete bone, wherein said third fixation memberis the only fixation member extending across said joint from the firstside of the joint to the second side of the joint.
 2. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said bone plate is contoured to anatomically fit bonesin a human foot.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said joint is ametatarsophalangeal joint.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said jointis a naviculocuneiform joint.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein saidjoint is a calcaneocuboid joint.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein saidjoint is a tarsometatarsal joint.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein saidthird fixation member is configured to develop compression across saidjoint with lag effect when said third fixation member is tightened. 8.The system of claim 1 wherein the free end of said third fixation memberand a free end of said second fixation member are configured to resideadjacent each other within said second discrete bone.
 9. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said bone plate includes at least one pin hole adjacentsaid first hole, said pin hole configured to receive a temporaryfixation member.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein said bone plateincludes at least one pin hole adjacent said second hole, said pin holeconfigured to receive a temporary fixation member.
 11. A system forfusing first and second bone parts, said system comprising: a bone platehaving a length sufficient to span a fracture or joint of a patient suchthat said bone plate is positionable alongside first and second boneparts straddling the fracture or joint, said bone plate having; a firsthole configured to align with the first bone part, a second holeconfigured to align with the second bone part, a third hole and a fourthlocated between the first hole and the second hole, said third andfourth hole having an axis that is configured to cross the fracture orjoint during use, the third hole defining a first area and the fourthhole defining a second area, the second area being smaller than thefirst area, and a fifth hole located adjacent either the first hole orthe second hole, said fifth hole being smaller in area than said firsthole or said second hole; a first fixation member configured to beinserted through the first hole of said bone plate and into the firstbone part; a second fixation member configured to be inserted throughthe second hole of said bone plate and into the second bone part; athird fixation member configured to be inserted through the third andfourth hole in the bone plate, into the first bone part, across thefracture or joint, and into the second bone part, wherein a free end ofsaid third fixation member does not attach to any portion of the boneplate and wherein the third fixation member is the only fixation memberextending across the fracture or joint, the third fixation member havinga fixation head defining a head area, the head area being greater thanthe second area and less than the first area; and a temporary fixationmember configured to be inserted through the fifth hole in the boneplate.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the bone plate is contoured toanatomically fit bones in a human foot.
 13. The system of claim 11wherein the free end of the third fixation member and a free end of thesecond fixation member are configured to reside adjacent each otherwithin said second bone part.
 14. The system of claim 11 wherein thebone plate is substantially planar.
 15. The system of claim 11 whereinthe fifth hole is a pin hole.
 16. The system of claim 11 wherein thetemporary fixation member is a guide pin.
 17. An orthopedic implantcomprising; a bone plate having a proximal surface and an oppositedistal bone contacting surface, said bone plate having a lengthsufficient to span a fracture or joint of a patient such that said boneplate is positionable alongside first and second bone parts straddlingthe fracture or joint, said bone plate having a first hole configured toalign with the first bone part, the first hole sized to accept a firstbone screw, a second hole configured to align with the second bone part,the second hole sized to accept a second bone screw, a third holelocated between said first hole and said second hole, said third holesized to accept a third bone screw having a screw head, said third holebeing angled relative to said bone plate such that, during use, saidthird bone screw is positioned to extend through said third hole andcross the fracture or joint, said third hole being configured to allowthe entire screw head to be seated below the proximal surface of saidbone plate, and a pin hole located adjacent either said first hole orsaid second hole, said pin hole being smaller in area than said firsthole or said second hole, said pin hole extending from said proximalsurface of said bone plate to said distal surface, said pin hole beingconfigured to accept a temporary fixation member.
 18. The orthopedicimplant of claim 17 wherein the temporary fixation is a guide pin.